Method for producing a layer of a compound semiconductor

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a layer by means of MOVPE, wherein the layer comprises or consists of at least one III-V compound semiconductor and carbon, wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least one element of main group III of the periodic table which is selected from any of gallium, aluminum, indium and/or boron, and wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least nitrogen and wherein the compound semiconductor comprises optionally at least one further element of main group V which is selected from any of phosphorus and/or arsenic, wherein the method comprises the steps of: introducing a substrate into a vacuum chamber; evacuating the vacuum chamber to a background pressure; heating the substrate to a predefinable temperature; introducing at least one precursor gas into the vacuum chamber, said gas comprising or consisting of nitrogen; introducing at least one precursor comprising an organometallic compound into the vacuum chamber; introducing at least one hydrocarbon compound into the vacuum chamber.

1 . Method for producing a layer by means of MOVPE, wherein the layer comprises or consists of at least one III-V compound semiconductor and carbon, wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least one element of main group III of the periodic table which is selected from any of gallium, aluminum, and/or indium, and 
       wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least nitrogen and 
       wherein the compound semiconductor comprises optionally at least one further element of main group V which is selected from any of phosphorus and/or arsenic, 
       wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 introducing a substrate into a vacuum chamber; 
 evacuating the vacuum chamber to a background pressure; 
 heating the substrate to a predefinable temperature; 
 introducing at least one precursor gas into the vacuum chamber, said gas comprising or consisting of nitrogen; 
 introducing at least one precursor comprising an organometallic compound into the vacuum chamber; 
 introducing at least one hydrocarbon compound into the vacuum chamber. 
 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises or consists of an alkane. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises or consists of an alkane having 1 to 7 carbon atoms 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises any of methane and/or pentane. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature being selected from the range between 1050° C. to 1180° or between 900° C. to 1200° C. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen containing gas is selected from any of N 2  and/or NH 3 . 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the organometallic compound comprises Ga and/or Al and/or In. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is supplied in an amount of about 9 mmol/min to about 47 mmol/min. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the background pressure is less than 1 hPa. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure increases to a value of about 25 hPa to about 220 hPa or about 30 hPa to about 100 hPa when the organometallic compound and the nitrogen comprising gas and the hydrocarbon are introduced. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of carbon atoms in the layer is selected between 1·10 18  cm −3  and 2·10 20  cm −3 . 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer obtained has a leakage current of less than 1 μA at an electric field applied from 2 V/nm and/or that the layer has a leakage current of less than 1 nA at an electric field applied of 0.8 V/nm. 
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises or consists of GaN and/or AlGaN and/or AlInN. 
     
     
         14 . Method for producing a layer by means of MOVPE, wherein the layer comprises or consists of at least one III-V compound semiconductor and carbon, wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least one element of main group III of the periodic table which is selected from any of gallium, aluminum, indium and/or boron, and 
       wherein the compound semiconductor comprises at least nitrogen and 
       wherein the compound semiconductor comprises optionally at least one further element of main group V which is selected from any of phosphorus and/or arsenic, 
       wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 introducing a substrate into a vacuum chamber; 
 evacuating the vacuum chamber to a background pressure; 
 heating the substrate to a predefinable temperature; 
 introducing at least one precursor gas into the vacuum chamber, said gas comprising or consisting of nitrogen; 
 introducing at least one precursor comprising an organometallic compound into the vacuum chamber; 
 introducing at least one hydrocarbon compound into the vacuum chamber, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises at least one alkane having 1 to 7 carbon atoms. 
 
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises any of methane and/or pentane. 
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature being selected from the range between 1050° C. to 1180° or between 900° C. to 1200° C. 
     
     
         17 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen containing gas is selected from any of N 2  and/or NH 3 . 
     
     
         18 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the organometallic compound comprises Ga and/or Al and/or In. 
     
     
         19 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon is supplied in an amount of about 9 mmol/min to about 47 mmol/min. 
     
     
         20 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the number of carbon atoms in the layer is selected between 1·10 18  cm −3  and 2·10 20  cm −3 .